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Dal faculty and staff set aside their keyboards, smartphones and microscopes and put their thumbs to work in another way at the annual Boots n鈥� Blooms event last week.

Boots n鈥� Blooms is a morning of 鈥渟weat equity鈥� that engages the Agricultural Campus community in supporting the campus鈥� Grounds Maintenance team. This year, the effort focused on getting the Alumni Gardens ready for its close-ups during prom and wedding season.

Boots n鈥� Blooms was open to all Dalhousie staff and faculty who had a few hours to lend a hand and tend to the gardens. Volunteers were also encouraged to don their funkiest pair of rubber boots in the spirit of friendly competition. At the end of the day Claude Caldwell, acting dean, judged the boots, with winner Stephanie Rogers taking home a hanging flower basket.

Gardening with the experts

As the sun beat down on the Alumni Garden, participants pruned, edged, mulched and planted their way to a restored and refreshed garden retreat tucked away near the MacRae Library.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a staff engagement day鈥� We鈥檙e showing we鈥檙e an 鈥榓g鈥� school. We鈥檙e out and we鈥檙e actually doing the work,鈥� explained Jeff Morton, grounds co-manager at the Agricultural Campus.

Morton and his team of employees were out in full force to help out, but they weren鈥檛 just dishing out directions to all the volunteers. They were providing helpful advice to people with all levels of gardening experience.

Lugene Young, the on-site nurse at the Agricultural Campus, has been gardening for many years but was still excited to learn a new thing or two and connect with her colleagues on a different level.

鈥淚t鈥檚 nice to have professionals around to show us how to do it properly. I can鈥檛 wait to go home, purchase some new tools, and re-do my cottage and my house,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 great to be around faculty and staff in a different light, communicating in a different way because we鈥檙e all doing the same thing: working and digging in the dirt!鈥�

People of all ages came to help out. Even the kids from the on-campus daycare lent their tiny and eager hands to get the gardens in tip-top shape.

Boots n鈥� Blooms volunteers were rewarded for their hard work with a BBQ and flowers to add to their own gardens at home.